Amend CSHB 1 (house committee printing) under the Article III provisions for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (pages III-33 to III-46) by adding the following appropriately numbered item:

____.  Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Financial Incentive Program to Prepare Teachers in Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, and Spanish.

a.  It is the intent of the legislature that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board establish and administer a program to provide financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan repayment to:

(1)  assist persons in obtaining certification to teach bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a public elementary or secondary school in this state; and

(2)  facilitate the employment of those persons by a public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields.

b.  The Coordinating Board may use a portion of any undedicated general revenue funds otherwise appropriated to the Coordinating Board by this Act for the purpose of establishing and administering the program described by this rider.